


It's a Matter of Choice

by frek



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: First Kiss, M/M, Monster of the Week, SterekTYOA, Tweet Your Own Adventure, Tweetfic, sterek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-31
Updated: 2015-01-31
Packaged: 2018-03-09 18:27:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3259871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frek/pseuds/frek
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's a creature causing disappearances in Beacon Hills. Stiles and Derek work with the pack to try to save the town, growing closer with each step they take.</p><p>(A Sterek Tweet Your Own Adventure Story - the paths the story takes were chosen by the readers on <a href="http://twitter.com/sterektyoa">SterekTYOA</a>.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's a Matter of Choice

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is a variant of Choose Your Own Adventure, one I've dubbed "Tweet Your Own Adventure". It was initially published daily on Twitter via [SterekTYOA](http://twitter.com/sterektyoa) and the paths the story took were chosen by the readers there. I've left the choices in the body of this fic so you can see what options were available, as well as the vote counts so you can see which had won before reading on.

This story starts as many Sterek stories do (though the ending is completely up to you). With Stiles in his room, researching lore at his desk late into the night. He's got his laptop open and several books spread across the surface. He's turning the page of a bestiary when he hears a noise outside his window. He doesn't bother to grace the sound with even a thought. He's got a lot of work to do and besides, nothing supernatural would be able to break through the mountain ash barrier he has in place. He focuses back on his work but before long the sound is heard again, a sort of scratching. Stiles sighs and glances at the clock. It's just after midnight. 

_What should Stiles do?_

_Should Stiles check out the sound? - 16 votes  
Should Stiles continue working? - 2 votes_

Stiles stretches, glancing at his window as he hears the sound again. He'd heard it several times over the last few hours, just often enough to make him curious. He doesn't see anything right outside his window, so he gets up and crosses his room, the sound heard again, louder as he gets closer. It's pitch black outside his window, so he opens it enough to see out, careful not to cross the mountain ash barrier. He reaches for a flashlight he keeps nearby and shines it outside, on the tree facing his window. At first, he doesn't see anything more than what he normally does until the light plays on what looks like a face or _something_ hanging from a branch only a few feet from him. Stiles' heart stops in his chest.

_What does Stiles do?_

_Does Stiles panic and shout at what he sees? -13 votes  
Does Stiles stay calm and call someone about it? - 8 votes_

Stiles cries out in surprise, his voice echoing through the house and outside. He stumbles back, quickly slamming his window shut as he hears his father's footsteps come running down the hall. "What is it, Stiles?" He asks, pushing into Stiles' room without any hesitation. 

Stiles glances at his dad, voice shaky as he speaks, "there's something out there." Stiles takes a step toward his window, shining his flashlight down on the face. Looking down, he can tell now that it isn't real, but some sort of carving. It's pale, almost white, with streaks of red along it's smooth surface, reminding Stiles of blood. But more disconcerting to him were the empty, dark holes where its eyes should be - almost like a mask. Stiles can feel his dad standing beside him now, getting a look at the face. Despite the empty eyes, Stiles feels as if it's staring at them. Like it can /see/ them.

_What does Stiles and his dad do?_

_Do Stiles and his dad go investigate the face on their own? - 8 votes  
Do Stiles and his dad call someone to help them with the face? - 12 votes_

Stiles and his dad both look back at the face, the unease Stiles feels growing each time he meets its empty gaze. Finally his dad pulls back from the window, shaking his head as he steps away. "I don't like the looks of that, kid," he says, motioning for Stiles to step away too. 

Stiles follows, closing the blinds behind him, effectively hiding the face from view. "Derek's been working on tracking whoever's been behind this stuff," Stiles says, nodding toward the window. "I'm going to call him, see if he'll check it out." 

His dad nods in agreement, "I'll leave it to him then. I'm going to just check the doors and windows downstairs, if you need me, shout." 

Stiles waves his dad off as he calls Derek on his cell, stepping over to the window to peek through the blinds, the face seems to have shifted a little and is looking directly at him now. He swallows down a scream and steps from the window just as Derek answers. After a few minutes of conversation, Derek's on his way over and Stiles is waiting for him by the front door, anxiously pacing until he sees the familiar headlights of Derek's SUV pull up in his driveway.

_What should Stiles do?_

_Should Stiles wait inside and let Derek investigate on his own? - 1 votes  
Should Stiles meet Derek outside and help him investigate? - 19 votes_

As soon as Derek's SUV comes to a stop, Stiles is stepping outside to meet him in the front yard, anxious to get a closer look at the face, despite the unease it stirs in him. Derek looks alert as he steps around his vehicle, dressed in soft looking sweatpants and a t-shirt. Stiles permits himself to give him a quick once over but doesn't let his gaze linger as much as he wants. Instead he focuses on Derek's face and the concern there. "It's over by the side of the house," Stiles says, nodding his head in that direction. "I was researching lore and heard scratching."

Derek nods and leads the way around the house, approaching the tree that Stiles had seen the face affixed to. He listens as Stiles explains when the scratching had started, but suddenly stops dead, one hand shooting out to press firmly to Stiles' chest, keeping him from moving any further. Derek holds up a finger to silence Stiles as he listens, hearing something Stiles couldn't. After a moment, they step back to the front of the house. "Are you sure you didn't see anyone outside when you looked?" Derek asks, his voice urgent.

Stiles shakes his head, "No, when I looked, it was just that face sitting in one of the forks of the tree."

"And there was nothing behind it?" Derek leans around the corner of the house to see.

Stiles looks confused. "Not that I can tell, why?"

"Because the face is gone," Derek says before his eyes widen at something he sees in the dark. "Someone's back there." Derek turns to Stiles, resting a hand briefly on his shoulder. "Stay here," he says before taking off after them.

_What does Stiles do?_

_Does Stiles listen to Derek and stay put? - 1 vote  
Does Stiles ignore Derek and chase after him? - 20 votes_

Stiles stands still only a second after Derek dashes after the thing he's seen before taking off after him, running blindly around the side of the house. He throws a cursory glance at the tree, seeing that Derek is right, the face is gone. It sends a chill down Stiles' spine as he runs after Derek, following the sounds of him running through his yard and into the neighbor's. That means the face may have actually been a face and not just a carving. Those void-like eyes actually were looking back at him.

Stiles pauses at the edge of his yard, the sounds of Derek running suddenly out of earshot now that he's there. He looks around in the dark, his gaze flitting to the pools of yellow light from the streetlights in the next street over. There's nothing moving out there in the dark that he can see. And with Derek gone, Stiles suddenly feels very alone. And very exposed. He reaches out to rest a palm on the open gate, the loud squeak from the rusted hinge making him jump, his imagination working overtime.

What if the thing loops back to his yard? What if it wasn't alone and Derek is only chasing down one of them? And then something dawns on him. He left the front door unlocked, his dad alone in the house, unaware that there's an actual threat out here. Stiles feels his stomach lurch as he turns around, intending to return to the house and check on his dad. Only, as he does, he sees some movement in the shadows out of the corner of his eye.

_What should Stiles do?_

_Should Stiles continue to the house to check on his dad? - 20 votes  
Should Stiles follow the movement instead of checking on his dad? - 3 votes_

Stiles casts only one more glance toward the movement, before he turns and runs away from it, toward the house and his father. He can hear feet running behind him, rustling through the tall grass of his backyard. His heart is racing with fear as he rounds the corner to the front yard. He's just a few feet from his porch when suddenly, something hits him hard from behind, knocking his breath from him as he hits the ground where he's now pinned.

Stiles tries to crawl out from under the heavy body holding him down. He wiggles as best he can, but he's unable to really move when strong hands grasp his arms, stilling him. A familiar voice whispers close to his ear, hot breath washing over his skin, "Don't move."

Derek.

Stiles relaxes, but only a little. Derek would have a good reason to tackle him. He wouldn't just do it to get close. _And, god, is he close_ , Stiles thinks as he realizes he can feel practically every inch of Derek's body along his back. And as that realization hits, Stiles suddenly can't be still enough, realizing where his backside actually is positioned. "Why did you tackle me?" Stiles manages to grit out, not entirely unaffected.

Derek voices Stiles' fears, "it's inside the house."

Stiles' stomach drops as realization hits him, this is all his fault. He should have never left the house in the first place. Derek climbs to his feet and offers Stiles' a hand, helping him up. The two of them crouch down and inch closer to the house, where the front door is hanging open. "We need to come up with a plan," Stiles says, fighting the urge to rush in.

"Yeah," Derek says, "you stay here and I go in and take care of it."

Stiles scoffs, "I don't think so."

_What plan do they come up with?_

_They split up to enter the house and try to corner the creature. - 12 votes  
Stiles "gives in" and "waits" by the front door as Derek goes in alone. - 6 votes_

Derek sighs and they argue for a minute about what they should do before Derek gives in and lets Stiles join him in handling this. Stiles starts moving toward the front door while Derek quickly rounds to the back of the house with the key Stiles presses into his hand.

Stiles waits by the door, peering through the glass, not seeing anything in the house from his angle. He can't see where Derek is waiting, so he just counts down in a voice just loud enough for him to hear before he opens the door and steps into the house. He can hear the back door open then close as he glances around the lower level, unnerved by just how quiet the house is, knowing that something is in there with them. 

Between he and Derek, they manage to verify the main floor is empty pretty quickly. They meet at the base of the stairs to the second floor and pause a moment, Derek listening for any sound above them. "I can hear the Sheriff sleeping," Derek says quietly, speaking close to Stiles' ear. "And something else moving around up there."

Stiles nods, reaching up to grip Derek's arm as he hears the squeak of hinges down the hall from the stairs. He looks at Derek, his fingers curled tightly in his shirt sleeve. "Dad," he gasps, but Derek is already moving, shaking his arm free of Stiles' grip, not bothering to tell Stiles to stay behind.

Stiles follows Derek up the stairs and down the hall. He can see his dad's door open, dark beyond the threshold. As they step up to it, Derek's hand is on Stiles' shoulder, holding him back as he pauses, leaning in to see in. Stiles inches forward and his foot finds a squeaky board. Derek curses and he's running into the room, Stiles following, catching sight of a large black shape as it climbs out the window, a flash of that pale, sightless face before it's gone.

Stiles' dad is sitting up at the commotion and Stiles takes a minute to explain what's going on, much to his concern. Derek steps away from the window (once again locked) and reassures him that the threat is gone. It takes a few minutes of explanation and reassurance, but soon enough his dad is reluctantly asleep once again. Stiles and Derek head to Stiles' room alone, to figure out their next steps.

_What will they do next?_

_Stiles and Derek will stay behind for now to research this creature. - 18 votes  
Stiles and Derek will go out and try to hunt down this creature. - 1 votes_

Stiles drops into his desk chair, head tilted back to rest on the back. Derek stands behind him, hands resting on the back of the chair, on either side of Stiles' head as he looks down at the books spread across his desk. "We need to figure out what it is we're dealing with," he says as if Stiles doesn't already know that. He chooses the bestiary from the pile and carries it to the bed where he sits as if it were his own room. Stiles watches him for a moment, lips parted as he imagines Derek sitting on his bed for other reasons that don't include homicidal creatures and threats to the pack. After a moment, Derek shoots him a pointed stare, eyebrows raised and Stiles moves to dig out a book, his cheeks flushing red as he wonders if Derek realized what he'd been thinking.

Stiles pulls out one of his books of lore and starts flipping through the pages. "Okay, so you said that people and things have just gone missing altogether without a trace, right?" Stiles says, pausing on a couple pages he had marked earlier. "No notes or struggle or anything?"

Derek nods, glancing over at Stiles from his spot on his bed. "Right. And nothing has been caught on camera either that could explain it. In one case, the person literally disappears."

Stiles sighs, pulling his marker from one page and turning to the next, having ruled out that one. "And what we saw tonight, was a large, black, shadowy thing with a sort of mask for a face?"

"That's what I saw."

"So what makes things disappear, is large and shadowy and doesn't appear on camera?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out," Derek replies with only a hint of irritation apparent in his voice.

Stiles sighs again, picking up a couple books and dragging them over to his bed. "Move over, if I'm going to spend forever digging through these, I'm not going to do it on that hard chair."

Derek glances over at Stiles and raises an eyebrow, but doesn't say anything as he moves over, giving Stiles room to settle in beside him. They sit with their backs to the headboard as they spread the books out between them and start to work in earnest.

It isn't until the sun is shining into the room and Stiles is blinking away the sleep from his eyes that he realizes he'd passed out in the bed with Derek. That he's currently resting his head on Derek's shoulder, one leg thrown over his. Oops. 

_What does Stiles do?_

_Pretend to stay asleep so he doesn't wake up Derek (and maybe get to cuddle him a little more). - 21 votes  
Sit up and wake up Derek, pretending like this never happened. - 1 vote_

Stiles doesn't move. Instead he focuses on taking slow and steady breaths, relaxing so he doesn't give himself away. Surely it wouldn't hurt if he fell back asleep like this? He lets out a soft breath and shifts slightly, curling closer to Derek, an arm slipping across his waist. It's nice, being close to Derek, and Stiles doesn't want to ever move.

Stiles doesn't know how long he stays like that, listening to Derek's even breaths, enjoying the warmth of him beside him. Eventually he starts drifting back off to sleep. That is, until Derek's phone starts ringing, waking them both up, Stiles practically jumping off Derek and the bed at the feel of him moving to answer the phone beneath him. Stiles settles for sitting on the edge of the bed, making a show of stretching and yawning as if he hadn't just spent his night wrapped around Derek.

Derek talks quickly with whoever called him, the agitation in his voice, alerting Stiles to something wrong. He hangs up and starts to move from the bed, talking as he picks up a book to move aside, "Boyd says there was another victim last night, two streets over, sometime after we scared it away from your father."

Stiles glances over at the book in Derek's hand and his eyes widen. It's open to a page in the middle and he'd recognize the image anywhere, that's their creature. "Derek!" Stiles says, reaching out and grabbing the book, opening the page and reading through it, his heart racing with excitement at finally finding something. Or maybe it's racing at the feel of Derek at his back, reading over his shoulder. He doesn't think about it. Much.

"It's a Mimic Spirit," Stiles says after a moment. "It mimics emotions, movements, personalities of those around it, or of those it eats." The enormity of what it's done dawns on Stiles and he turns to look at Derek, who's _really_ close. "Oh god, it's been eating them."

Derek moves quickly. "Come on, we have to meet Boyd. Bring the book, maybe it'll tell us how to kill it."

Stiles nods, getting up and pulling on his shoes, quickly grabbing his things and the book. He follows Derek out to the driveway, climbing into the passenger seat of his SUV before they're on their way back to Derek's loft. Stiles is silent as they start and he thinks he's lucky they got the call when they did. He's missed out on a likely embarrassing conversation.

_Does Stiles really miss out on that embarrassing conversation?_

_For now. They've got more pressing issues to discuss. - 8 votes  
No way, Derek totally brings it up on the way to the loft. - 12 votes_

They only make it a couple blocks away from Stiles' house before Derek breaks the silence. "I know you were awake this morning," Derek says, cutting right to the chase, apparently not in the mood to skirt around an issue.

Stiles silently curses to himself, that he had been so obvious. He sighs and drops his head back against the seat, wishing he could just will himself out of this conversation. That is until something comes to mind. A sort of oh my god thought that makes his eyes widen as he looks over at Derek. "That would mean that you were awake too and not moving," Stiles pointed out, sitting up in his seat.

Derek shakes his head, cheeks pinkening. "Maybe I just didn't want to wake you up?" Derek asks, eyebrow raised as he turns off the main road toward his loft.

"Sure, Derek," Stiles says, sounding way more confident than he actually feels, but he can't stop the grin from forming on his lips. "You liked it, didn't you?"

Derek shoots Stiles a glare, but doesn't respond otherwise.

"Oh come onnnn," Stiles whines. "Just admit it. It felt good sleeping next to someone." Stiles left the _next to me_ off, afraid of pushing that far.

Derek pulls into the garage of his building, parking the SUV. "I won't admit to anything," he says, glancing over at Stiles, but looking away quickly as he pulls out the keys and gets out of the vehicle.

Stiles wants to pout and push for more from Derek, but he knows he shouldn't. Not with everything they have to handle. So he sighs, grabs the book and follows Derek up to his loft where the rest of the pack was already waiting for them.

They open the book on the table and Derek starts talking about the spirit, explaining what Stiles had explained to him. Stiles picks up where Derek leaves off, going over the rest of the information he has. They fill in the gaps between each other, working together seamlessly and Stiles can't help but think about how good they are together. How good they /could/ be together. He's fallen hard and he doesn't care one bit.

When they're done going over explanations and possible ways of capturing the spirit (the easiest of which happens to be literally commanding it into a vessel), they decide to split up to start covering ground, needing find and handle it immediately. Stiles and Derek end up being paired off and it wasn't even his doing. They make their way back out of the loft, to the SUV and to start looking.

_Where should Stiles and Derek start their search?_

_They should search by Stiles' house, where the spirit was seen last. - 11 votes  
They should search in the Preserve, where they believe the spirit came from. - 14 votes_

Derek starts the SUV and pulls out, "I figure you and I would start looking out in the Preserve. Deaton thinks it originated at the Nemeton."

Stiles nods as he plays with the small wooden box they'd found for the purpose of containing the spirit. He opens and closes the clasp, turning the iron key in the lock, listening for it to click in place. He runs his fingers over the old carvings in the wood, pictures of deer and trees. It reminds him of the Preserve and he wonders if maybe it had been modeled after it. None of the others had anything to capture the spirit. Stiles had argued that they should all stay together because of this, but Derek had pointed out that they had a better chance of finding and tracking it this way. Stiles had given in, only because everyone promised to call at the first signs of the spirit, that way they'd be able to get there to help.

When Derek parks at the end of a gravel road in the Preserve, Stiles stuffs the box into a backpack and climbs out of the SUV, looking around at the forest surrounding him. Everything is calm, giving no hint to the things that tend to lurk here. Stiles pulls the backpack onto his shoulders and starts walking alongside Derek, who's leading the way to the Nemeton. "Do you think we'll find it out here?" Stiles asks, glancing over at Derek, wanting to break the silence that seems to have built up between them.

Derek frowns as he looks ahead. "I don't know," he admits. "But we have to start looking somewhere."

Stiles nods and tries to focus on the forest surrounding them, watching for movement, listening for anything that sounds out of the ordinary. They're probably about halfway to the Nemeton when Stiles hears someone - or something - shouting. The sound makes Stiles shiver. It sounds human, but only just. Like a warped imitation of a human voice. At the sound, Derek moves to start running toward it and is only stopped by Stiles grabbing his arm.

"Stiles let go," Derek grits out, anxious to get to the sound.

Stiles shakes his head, "We had an agreement to wait for help."

"And risk losing it?" Derek asks.

Stiles bites his lip, uncertain. They need to capture it and can't afford to let it hurt anyone else. But he isn't sure they can take it alone if it actually tries to fight.

_What should Stiles do?_

_Let Derek go and try to keep up with him. - 9 votes  
Refuse to let Derek go while he waits for backup. - 10 votes_

Stiles tightens his grip on Derek's arm and shakes his head. "I'm not letting you go. You'll have to drag me with you." They really had lucked out the first time they'd encountered the spirit. Who knows what would have happened if it had decided to attack? 

Derek levels a glare at Stiles. "You know I can just pull out of this if I wanted to, right?" He says, moving his arm as Stiles tightens his grip.

Stiles presses his lips together and raises his chin, meeting Derek's gaze, defiant. "Don't. You don't know what will happen if you go alone. I-," he pauses, his cheeks warm at what he'd almost said. " _We_ can't risk losing you."

Derek watches Stiles for a long moment, as if he's considering what Stiles has said. He wraps his free hand around Stiles' wrist, pulling himself free. His hand lingers on Stiles' before he lets go. "Fine," he concedes. "But if no one is here in ten minutes, I'm-"

" _We're_ ," Stiles cuts in, determined.

" _We're_ ," Derek emphasizes, "going on our own."

Stiles nods, content that Derek isn't going to ditch him or get himself killed. He pulls out his phone and calls the others, letting them know where they are. "All right. They're on their way."

Stiles watches as Derek leans against a tree and lifts his head up, scenting the air as he listens. Stiles lets him be for a couple minutes before asking, "Can you still hear it?"

Derek nods, "It's nearby, but I think it's movi-" He stops mid-sentence as he looks over at Stiles. The spirit is approaching from behind him and Stiles is completely oblivious. "Stiles," Derek says, voice low and cautious. "Come here. Now."

Stiles looks at Derek with confusion before realization dawns on him, fear flooding his body. He starts moving toward Derek, but it's too late, the spirit has a hold on the backpack he's wearing and he can't get free without losing the backpack and box inside. He sees Derek already wolfing out and coming toward him.

_What should Stiles do?_

_Stiles should let the spirit have the backpack and get away. - 0 votes  
Stiles should try to fight for the backpack, he can't lose the box. - 14 votes_

Stiles tries to pull himself free, the backpack already halfway in the spirit's black hole of a mouth. He watches Derek move quickly around him, fangs dropped, eyes glowing blue, preparing to distract and fight the spirit. Stiles feels his backpack being pulled a little more and has to make a decision, leave it and run or fight for the vessel he knows they need to capture the spirit.

Stiles can't let the box go, not when they're so close to being able to capture the spirit. He slips the backpack off one arm and turns to grab the remaining strap with both hands, pulling with all his weight as he sees Derek attack the spirit from behind, snarling and growling. The spirit responds by shaking and moving to try to lose Derek while still holding tightly onto the backpack, pulling it inch by inch into its mouth.

The more furiously they fight, the more furiously the spirit fights, as if it's feeding off the energy they're putting into the fight. Which, Stiles realizes might be exactly what's happening. He tugs hard on his backpack, not letting himself think about that just yet, not when the box is still in jeopardy. He feels the fabric start to give way and he knows he's so close to getting it open at the very least. The spirit is still moving and shaking, jerking Stiles' arms left and right as it fights off Derek and it's all Stiles can do to keep holding on.

And then several things happen at once. The backpack rips open, the fabric giving way completely to the stress. The box goes flying out of the bag, over Stiles head, somewhere behind him. The pack's howls echo through the forest from nearby. The spirit swallows the remnants of the backpack and turns on Derek.

Stiles watches with wide eyes as things unravel around him, the pack still not close enough to jump into the fight. The box is flying overhead and Stiles realizes he needs to catch it if he wants it to survive the fall. He knows the spirit's mouth beneath the mask is growing as it fights Derek, almost as large as the black mass of its body. He's not sure Derek will make it if he doesn't come to his aid. He knows the box won't make it if he doesn't catch it.

_What does Stiles do?_

_Stiles helps Derek, he should be able to think of another way to capture the spirit. - 12 votes  
Stiles turns to catch the box, Derek should be able to hold the spirit off until the pack arrives. - 8 votes_

Stiles turns back to watch the box fly out of reach, cracking against a tree, the lid breaking off as it tumbles to the forest floor. He grimaces, but doesn't can't do anything now. It's broken and Derek sounds like he might be hurt. Priorities.

Stiles turns back to Derek and the spirit, watching as it forms arms with clawlike hands from the black mass of its body, slashing at Derek. Derek is dodging the hands, but they still hit him, angry slashes cut through his skin, blood dripping as they heal. Stiles swallows down his fear and rushes at the spirit, jumping at it while it's preoccupied with Derek.

Stiles manages to somehow land on the spirit's back, arms wrapped around its masked face, avoiding the dangerous mouth below. He kicks at its back as it starts trying to toss him off. The movements are hard and jerky and a lot stronger than Stiles had anticipated. Derek is swiping his claws at the spirit as Stiles holds on for dear life, trying desperately not to get thrown.

"It just heals," Derek says as Stiles watches another one of Derek's gouges in the spirit immediately close up. "We need a plan."

Stiles groans. "The box broke when the backpack ripped," Stiles says as his foot connects with some part of the spirit again. "We need another vessel."

Derek ducks in and swipes another swath of gouges along the spirit's body. "There's probably something in the SUV we can use."

"When the pack gets here I need to run back and find something," Stiles says just as he hears howling. He glances behind him, catching sight of the pack arriving and he feels some of his fear fade. They had a chance after all.

Except the distraction gave the spirit the upper hand with Stiles and suddenly he's not on its back anymore. One minute he's marveling at the feeling of flying and the next his world goes dark.

Stiles wakes up to the sunlight fading in the forest and Derek leaning over him, a hand brushing through his hair. He's close, so close Stiles could kiss him right now if he wanted. He smiles up at Derek, but it's taking everything in him to fight the haze of sleep threatening to overtake him.

_What will Stiles do?_

_Push through the sleepy haze to finally kiss Derek. - 15 votes  
Let sleep come, he's sure he'll have another chance later. - 3 votes_

Stiles struggles through the sleepy haze, leaning up a little as he searches Derek's face, watching his pale eyes flick down toward his mouth and back up again to meet his gaze. Stiles licks his lips and reaches out with one hand to cup Derek's jaw, bringing him closer until their lips brush, the light touch sending a flutter of warmth through Stiles' body, the world seemingly standing still around them.

That is until suddenly Derek is pulling away and he's shouting Stiles' name. Except something's wrong. It's not Derek's voice meeting his ears. The pitch is too high, the strength behind the name different. Stiles stares up at Derek with confusion as the world around him comes crashing down in a rush of movement and sound. Stiles blinks, the memory of the kiss still lingering on his lips as he looks around the forest. He's laying prone on the ground and most of the pack is several yards away, circling the spirit. He looks up and realizes it's not Derek standing over him, but Lydia. She looks worried as she's shouting his name, her banshee powers filling every shout, dragging him from the place he'd gotten lost.

Stiles sits up, feeling his head spin, but doing his best to ignore it. The pack needs him. They can only fight the spirit off for so long. He glances to his left, seeing the box in pieces beside him. "We need to find a new vessel, the box was broken," he tells Lydia.

She nods, reaching to help Stiles to his feet. "There's got to be something in the cars we can use," Lydia says as Stiles takes her hand and stands up, clinging to her for a moment as he gains his bearings. 

Stiles looks up as he feels the dizziness fade, watches the pack lunging and growling at the spirit, the same sort of behavior being reflected back by the spirit itself. That's when it dawns on him. The book had said the spirit is a mimic, it feeds off the energy around it and mimics it. Stiles turns to Lydia. "They need to stop fighting it," he relays quickly, one hand on Lydia's arm. "It feeds off their energy. If they're calm, it'll stay calm and stop hurting them."

Lydia listens as Stiles explains this, "Okay, I'll tell them. Are you okay going to the cars?"

Stiles nods his head. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he says as he turns and starts running for all he's worth. He makes it back to the cars in record time and looks between the three parked there, Derek's SUV, his Jeep (that Scott had driven), and Lydia's Prius. He tries to think about which one would most likely have something they could use as a vessel.

_Which vehicle does Stiles search?_

_Derek's SUV. He's sure the pack has left /something/ useful behind. - 2 votes_  
His Jeep. There's probably something beneath the junk he keeps in the back. - 11 votes  
Lydia's Prius. Who knows, maybe she has some shopping in the trunk? - 4 votes 

Stiles runs to his Jeep, figuring there should be something mixed in with all his junk. He opens the back and shoves things aside, bags and lacrosse pads and school books. There isn't anything in the back, so he closes up and climbs into the passenger side, looking behind the seats, then under. "Ha!" He shouts as he finds something that will most definitely work for a vessel.

His Batman travel mug.

Stiles takes it from the Jeep and feels something slosh inside. He frowns as he closes the door, already moving toward the pack. Opening the mug, he realizes it still has a little coffee in it from a couple days ago. He dumps it out on the grass and shakes out as much as he can. He hopes the spirit likes shitty campus coffee.

It doesn't take him very long to get back to the pack, now circling the spirit in some sort of peaceful standoff. The spirit is sort of turning on the spot, looking over the members of the pack while they all watch it with calm, if not hardened, expressions. "I've found a vessel!" Stiles says as he slows to a stop near the circle, everyone's gazes, including the spirit's, turning on him.

They all look equally unimpressed. "A travel mug?" Lydia says, unconvinced.

"It'll work," Stiles assures her. He opens the mug and steps into a space left between Scott and Boyd. "Has anyone tried commanding it yet?"

Scott nods, "Lydia's tried, so has Derek. But nothing."

"Okay so," Stiles starts. "The book said there had to be some power or force behind the command. Maybe it takes something like an alpha or a spark of power?" Stiles looks over at Scott. "So, you or me, bro. Who's it going to be?"

_Who's going to command the spirit into the vessel?_

_Scott will do it, his alpha power should do the trick. - 2 votes  
Stiles, of course. He has a spark after all. - 20 votes_

Scott is quiet a moment before he nods at Stiles. "You try first," he says. "You know the most about it, maybe that'll help."

Stiles chews on his bottom lip as he nods his understanding. He watches the spirit, the way it keeps turning from person to person, like it's trying to sort out who it could overtake. Stiles knows that if it chooses anyone, he'd be the easiest. Everyone else in the circle is some sort of supernatural creature. His only comfort is that if the spirit came toward him, he'd have the entire pack on it in less than a heartbeat.

Stiles swallows, remembering the book. Confidence is important. Strength and power. Intent is vital. He needs to mean every word and he needs to put the entire strength of his will into each syllable. Of course, knowing that is much easier than doing. Stiles feels the worry that he can't do this taking space at the back of his mind. He ignores it as best he can and takes a breath. Here goes nothing.

"Spirit!" Stiles commands its attention, stepping forward into the circle, Scott and Boyd leaving the gap open in case he needs to back away. "Spirit, face me!"

The spirit doesn't move, its back to Stiles. Stiles can feel his confidence fading and it's all he can do not to run to the safety of his friends. He looks up across from him, catches Derek's eyes. Derek is staring back at him, his gaze intense. He's speaking, just barely loud enough for Stiles to hear. "You can do it, Stiles. I believe in you."

Stiles feels something in him spark up at Derek's words. He nods at Derek even as he hears the others start to join in with him, almost chanting the words as a group. And with that, Stiles can feel something in him start to strengthen and he _knows_ he can do it.

"SPIRIT!" Stiles says again, stepping closer this time, his voice loud in the forest. "I command you to face me!" With some satisfaction, he watches the spirit turn to face him, moving toward him. Stiles wants to back away, but he holds his ground, buoyed by his pack. "This is your vessel! I command you to enter it!" Stiles holds out the mug.

He doesn't know what he expected, but watching the spirit fading until it's wispy and transparent isn't it. As it fades, it steps toward Stiles, lifting off the ground as if made of smoke, before condensing and flowing into the mug in his hand. Stiles feels faint, but he pushes through, screwing the lid tightly into place before he lets it overtake him. For the second time that day, everything goes black.

He comes to on the forest floor, surrounded by the entire pack, all looking on with worried expressions. "What happened?" Stiles asks, attempting to sit up but a wave of dizziness overtakes him and he has to lay back down.

"You trapped it," Scott says, grinning down at Stiles. "In a Batman cup of all things."

Stiles smiles back at Scott, looking around at the pack, finding Derek and meeting his gaze again, holding it for a long moment. There's a lot he wants to say, but the pack is there and he doesn't want to say it in front of them. He'd never live it down. He smiles at Derek before looking away and catches a knowing look on Lydia's face. So much for subtle.

Stiles tries to sit up again and he finds that the dizziness has passed. He moves to stand up and Scott and Derek are at his sides, helping him to his feet, and it's all Stiles can do not to lean against Derek completely. As Stiles steadies himself, he feels the hands disappear except one warm palm at the small of his back.

Derek bends down to pick up the mug, looking at it before speaking. "I need to take the vessel to my vault," he says to the pack, though he's looking at Stiles, his gaze questioning. Stiles knows what he's asking, if he's well enough to go with him or if he needs to go straight home. Stiles feels like he could sleep forever and isn't entirely certain of even his ability to walk just then. But, Derek's asking for his company and he's never been so conflicted in his life. He knows what he wants and what he should do and they're entirely different things.

_What does Stiles do?_

_Stiles goes with Derek despite how he's feeling. If he's lucky he won't pass out. - 22 votes  
Stiles lets Scott take him home, there's no way he can make it to the vault right now. - 2 votes_

Stiles nods at Derek, leaning into the hand still resting at his back. "I'll come with you," he says, reaching out to take the mug from Derek's hands, looking it over. He knows it'll be safe in the vault, that there isn't anywhere else they can keep it that it won't accidentally be opened and the spirit released.

"Are you sure you'll be okay, Stiles?" Scott asks, looking over at him with concern. "You probably should go home and rest some."

"I will after I make sure the vessel is put away," Stiles says, looking over at Scott. "I'll call you later, okay?" It's enough to calm Scott and with Derek's hand guiding Stiles through the forest, the pack makes their way back to the cars.

They all split up again, Scott taking Stiles' Jeep as before and Stiles climbing into the passenger side of the SUV with Derek's assistance. When he settles into the soft seat, he feels the thread of exhaustion tug at him and wonders if he's made the right decision. His mind settles, though, when he watches Derek climb into the driver's seat and their gazes meet. He offers Derek a small smile, his stomach fluttering at all the things that are left unsaid in that moment.

And then it's passed and Derek is starting the SUV and Stiles is resting his head back on the headrest while he holds tightly to the mug, laughing to himself at the idea of the spirit being trapped with the remnants of an old coffee for eternity.

"What's so funny?" Derek asks, glancing at Stiles briefly before he pulls out onto the road.

"This," Stiles says, holding up the mug. "We had a proper vessel and instead we had to use a Batman mug that still had some coffee in it."

Derek's lips curl into an amused smile and Stiles can't help but return the expression. It's easy after that, the conversation flowing between them. Stiles can't stop smiling, can't stop looking at Derek. At some point, though, the warmth of the car and the rhythm of the road lull Stiles to sleep. He doesn't know how long he sleeps, but when he wakes, they're parked outside the school and Derek is gone along with the mug. He should probably just wait for Derek to come back, it shouldn't take long and he's still really worn out, but Stiles is tempted to get up and find him in the vault, to spend more time with him and explore.

_What will Stiles do?_

_Stiles will go to the vault to find Derek, he hates waiting. - 19 votes  
Stiles will wait in the SUV, Derek will be back soon. - 4 votes_

Stiles climbs out of the SUV and stretches, looking around the school, the place is deserted. He closes the door behind him and makes his way to the school's sign, knowing that it's the closest entrance to where he parked. Except, when he gets to the sign, the vault entrance is closed and he has no way of getting in. Stiles sighs and sits down beside the sign and pulls out his phone, sending Derek a text to let him in.

He never gets a text in return, but a few minutes later, Stiles hear the vault opening and when Stiles stands up to face the entrance, Derek is standing on the stairs, waiting for him. "How was your nap?" Derek asks, a small smirk playing on his face.

"Haha, make fun of the guy that's concussed and suffering magical exhaustion," Stiles says, rolling his eyes as he follows Derek down into the vault.

Derek doesn't bother responding to Stiles, but he does laugh softly. The sound makes Stiles feel warm inside and he can't help but smile. Derek rarely laughs and the thought that he makes it happen is incredible. 

Derek leads Stiles down the stairs and past several shelves worth of stuff, toward a spot near the back. Stiles looks around as he follows, at the mementos, the collections, the little bits and pieces of things that make up the history of the Hales. Everything that didn't get lost in the fire. Stiles sees a doorway that leads to another part of the vault he's never been and his curiosity is piqued. He's tempted to disappear and explore on his own, wanting to know everything about what's down here, except Derek is still leading him toward the back. Stiles glances at the doorway again, indecisive.

_What should Stiles do?_

_Stiles should stick with Derek, he's expecting him to follow him. - 14 votes  
Stiles should go explore, Derek probably won't miss him much. - 6 votes_

Stiles shoots one last look back at the doorway before deciding to just follow Derek. He can't stop the curiosity that fills him about where the doorway leads, but he knows it's best just to stick with Derek at this point, especially with the knowledge of some of the things his family has kept down in the vault, cursed objects, vessels filled with vengeful spirits, and other things best left to the dark corner they've been deposited.

When Derek stops, Stiles pauses beside him, standing close enough that their arms touch. The small bit of contact sends a shiver through Stiles' body and if Derek notices, he doesn't say anything. Derek places the Batman mug on an empty space on the shelf, nestled between a pair of intricately carved wood boxes that remind Stiles a lot of the one he'd broken earlier. He lets out a short laugh at the sight, the way his mug stands out against the boxes, completely out of place. "I feel like I've ruined some sort of theme you had going here," Stiles says, glancing over at Derek and catching him watching him with a soft expression on his face.

Derek smiles and nods, "It doesn't really match, does it?"

"Not at all," Stiles agrees. He reaches out and runs his finger over the runes decorating the box to the left of his mug. He can feel the remnants of some power in there, feel it buzz beneath his touch like an electric pulse. "What's in these?" He asks, looking over at Derek.

Derek shrugs. "Most of these have been here since before I was born. Unless they're labeled, it's hard to say. I'd always been told that it's worse to know than not."

Stiles isn't like Derek and can't just take things at face value. He has to poke at the bruises, find out just how much it hurts. The only thing stopping him is that he knows how bad the spirit they trapped is and anything else held here could be just as bad or worse. His fingers rest over the gold clasp of the box, the electric buzzing even stronger there, until he feels Derek's hand rest over his own, guiding his hand away from the box and the clasp. 

Even with his hand safely away from the dangerous box, Derek doesn't let go. Instead, Derek slides his hand more fully into Stiles', their fingers lacing together. "Come on," Derek says, and he turns from the shelf and starts to lead Stiles back toward the entrance.

Stiles thinks about that doorway again, glancing in the direction of the room, his curiosity always getting the better of him.

"What are you looking at?" Derek asks, stopping and following his gaze.

_How does Stiles reply?_

_"Nothing really, there's just a lot to look at down here." - 1 vote  
"What's in that room over there? I've never seen it before" - 17 votes_

"What's in that room over there?" Stiles asks, nodding toward the doorway he's been contemplating. "I've never seen it before."

"I usually keep that room closed up," Derek says, his voice tight, and Stiles can see the tension in his body, even in the dim light.

"Oh, okay," Stiles nods and doesn't push it, can tell Derek is uncomfortable and doesn't want to make him any more so.

Derek surprises him, though, and continues. "It's where I keep what's left from the house."

Stiles looks up at Derek at that, certain that surprise is showing on his face. Derek doesn't look back at him, though, his gaze is fixed on the doorway and what he must know lays beyond.

"After the fire, but before Laura and I left town, we went back to the house and picked out what could be salvaged, some things fared better than others." Derek lets out a soft breath and glances over at Stiles and Stiles can really see the vulnerability there. "My entire room was basically gone. I think I found a trophy or two in there..." 

Stiles bites his lip, wants to ask to see the things, but knows just how deeply personal everything in there must be. He knows they're not close enough yet for him to even suggest something. But then, Derek surprises him again.

"Did you want to see?" He asks Stiles, looking uncertain. It's all Stiles can do not to drag him into one of his famous Stilinski hugs. Instead, Stiles squeezes Derek's hand in his and takes a moment to decide. He wants to say yet, his curiosity is off the charts. But this is something really important and emotional and he's not sure he's ready to handle that yet.

_What should Stiles do?_

_Agree to go to the room. Derek offered and he asked about it, after all. - 17  
Say no. He doesn't need to see the room tonight. Maybe another time. - 2_

Stiles chews on his bottom lip, thinking for a moment, before nodding. "Yeah, I'd like that," he says, offering a soft smile to Derek, which he promptly returns.

Derek holds Stiles hand a little tighter as he leads him through the vault to the doorway. He only lets go when he's just inside the room to turn on the lights, waiting for Stiles to join him. As Stiles steps into the room, he's hit with the overwhelming scent of smoke and mildew and he's thrown by how strongly it still smells after all these years. He can't imagine how strongly it must smell for Derek, if he can even smell his family's scent beneath it all.

Derek stands back, lets Stiles take in the room. His gaze flits between the shelves of possessions and Stiles, as if he's nervous about Stiles' reaction. Stiles hopes that he isn't disappointing Derek as he looks around. His lips part unconsciously as he takes it in, gaze roaming over a long row of framed pictures of the Hale family, over trophies and knick-knacks, the remnants of what he imagines was a large and diverse library. There's a lot to take in, surprisingly, and he doesn't know where to start.

Stiles looks back at Derek, taking his hand again, wanting that contact. "You managed to save a lot," he says and Derek nods but doesn't say anything. Stiles wants to ask so many things, unsure where to start. There's so many unfamiliar faces in the photos, books on subjects he'd love to read, and little mementos that he's sure Derek has great stories for. He glances around once more, thinking.

_What should Stiles ask about?_

_The photos. Derek rarely talks about his family, this is a great opportunity. - 12 votes_  
The books. Some could offer insight into Derek, others could help the pack. - 2 votes  
The mementos. Stiles knows he could learn a lot about Derek from them. - 5 votes 

Stiles' gaze roams the room again before resting on the row of photos, the faces in them all so happy, happier than he can ever remember seeing Derek. He steps away from Derek, letting his hand slip from his as he steps up to the pictures, reaching out to pick up one particular frame. In the picture, what has to be a younger Derek is seated on a dock on a lake, an older girl and a younger boy sitting on either side of him. All their faces are bright and happy, eyes squinting in the bright sunlight. Stiles feels a wave of sadness for Derek, that he doesn't have that anymore.

"Is that Laura?" He asks, glancing over at Derek who's stepping up beside him, his hand moving to rest at the small of Stiles' back.

Derek nods, reaching to take the frame from Stiles' hands. "Yeah, and Jacob, our younger brother," he says, eyes focused on the faces in the picture.

Stiles remembers the name from the list of deceased he'd read on the police report and wonders how he'd ever been able to read that report and not feel an ache for what Derek had gone through. He frowns a little as he watches Derek, seeing the way his face falls a little as he replaces the frame on the shelf. 

Derek moves to pick up the frame next to that one, holding it up to show Stiles. "This is my parents. It was taken on their twentieth anniversary," he explains. They're smiling wide at the camera, both dressed for the beach. 

Stiles smiles a little at the picture. "They looked happy," he says as Derek puts the frame back. 

"We all were," Derek replies. Stiles' stomach twists and he suddenly wishes he'd never asked about this room, never agreed to look. 

"Well you are now, aren't you?" Stiles asks, reaching out to take Derek's hand between both of his and leading him from the room, away from the sad memories and lingering scents.

"I have my moments," Derek agrees, glancing over at Stiles as they walk back toward the entrance of the vault.

"And this moment?" Stiles asks, waiting for Derek to open the doorway in the dark.

"I've had better," Derek replies with a small smirk, making Stiles laugh.

_How should Stiles reply?_

_"Asshole," Stiles laughs, shoving Derek teasingly away from him. - 8 votes  
"I refuse to believe anything can be better than quality Stiles time." - 13 votes_

Stiles shakes his head as he watches Derek listen and wait before opening the doorway, leading him out onto the school grounds. "I refuse to believe anything can be better than quality Stiles time," he says, letting the door close behind him.

"Is that what this is?" Derek asks, eyebrow raised.

"Of course! Every moment spent with me is absolute quality." Stiles grins over at Derek, his smile faltering when he catches the way Derek is watching him. Like he never wants to stop looking.

Stiles recovers after a few seconds, ducking his head to hide the blush on his cheeks. He watches the ground as they walk, almost afraid to look up and meet Derek's gaze again. "Anyway," he says, his tone changing. "I want to thank you for sharing that with me. I know it's not always easy to look back."

"Stiles." Derek stops, turning to face Stiles. He reaches out and rests a hand on Stiles' bicep, waiting for him to look up. "You don't have to thank me. I wanted to share it with you."

Stiles looks into Derek's face, feeling his cheeks warming again at his words. He smiles, one completely different from the teasing grin he shot Derek earlier.

"Thank you for asking," Derek continues, squeezing Stiles' arm lightly. "For listening."

Stiles feels a little light-headed at all that's happening. He nods at first, not quite knowing what to say, but wanting to acknowledge Derek's words in some way.

_How will Stiles respond?_

_Stiles will shrug it off and try to play it cool, lightening the mood some. - 2 votes  
Stiles will respond in kind, letting the emotion of the moment linger. - 19 votes_

Stiles reaches up and rests his hand over Derek's, keeping the touch there. His lips quirk into a soft smile. "I'm glad to do it," he says, his voice a little tight. "I know what it's like to need someone to talk to."

Derek looks at Stiles for a moment, a strange look on his face, like he's trying to piece something together. "Is that all...?" He starts, but shakes his head, removing his hand, before starting again. "Why did you come with me today?"

Stiles stares at Derek before responding. "I thought it was obvious?" He says, confusion clear in his face.

"You did?" Derek asks.

"Well... I mean, the touches, hand holding, how close you've been... Did I read this all wrong?" Stiles is suddenly really worried. His mind playing through the last few days, the way that he was certain he and Derek were finally bridging that last gap between them to something more. Had he been wrong this whole time?

Derek's eyes widen as if he's just realized something important. "So you /are/ interested?" Derek asks, obviously needing it spelled out.

_How should Stiles respond?_

_"Well, yeah! Didn't your wolfy instincts pick up on like, my pheromones or something?" - 3 votes  
"Oh my god, Derek, of course I'm interested! Do I need to actually throw myself at you to be any more clear?" - 21 votes_

Stiles stares at Derek for a long moment, eyes wide. He can't believe Derek is actually having to ask this question. "Oh my god, Derek, of course I'm interested!" He says, exasperated. "Do I need to actually throw myself at you to be any more clear?"

Derek relaxes at those words, a small smile playing on his lips. "Now that you mention it..." He murmurs just loud enough for Stiles to hear.

Stiles barks out a short laugh, grinning widely as he closes the distance between them, any semblance of worry gone now. "Werewolf's got jokes," he says before hooking his hand around the back of Derek's neck and dragging him in close, their lips crashing together, leaving Stiles feeling breathless.

Derek makes a desperate sort of sound and it's like music to Stiles' ears. He lets himself get lost in the kiss, in the soft slide of their lips together, the feel of Derek's arms wrapping around his waist. He's fantasized about this moment for longer than he will admit and there's only one thing he knows for sure as the kiss deepens. Fantasy has nothing on reality.

Stiles is ready and absolutely willing to spend the rest of the afternoon just like this. That is until he hears a car horn honking nearby. He's considering ignoring the horn in favor of further exploring that thing Derek is doing with his tongue, but then someone is honking the horn again.

_What does Stiles do?_

_Wrap his arms more firmly around Derek's neck and ignore the world around them. - 18 votes  
Sigh and turn to see just who has the gall to interrupt such a perfect moment. - 6 votes_

Stiles hums into the kiss, arms wrapping more firmly around Derek's neck as he ignores the horn. He wants to just forget the world around him, focusing on nothing more than Derek and the way his mouth fits so perfectly against his own.

Of course, Stiles never gets what he wants, because as soon as he thinks the car's driver has given up on getting his attention, he's proven wrong. Stiles groans, dropping his head against Derek's shoulder when the sound of a police siren cuts through the air. "It's my dad isn't it?" he says, already knowing that it is.

Derek laughs and presses a kiss to Stiles' temple. "Come on, before he decides to use the loudspeaker."

"He wouldn't..." Stiles starts, lifting his head and glancing over toward the car, seeing the look on his dad's face and the mouthpiece in his hand. "Oh god, he would."

Stiles pulls back and slips a hand into Derek's, holding it tight. "Save me," he says as they start walking over to the car.

"You'll willingly throw yourself at a deadly spirit, but you want saved from your father?" Derek asks, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Nothing is more frightening than a father intent on ruining his son's life," Stiles murmurs just before they stop by the car. "Hi, Dad."

"Son," his dad starts, "Derek." 

Stiles cringes, afraid of where this is going to go. He glances around, looking for an exit, but doesn't see one. He wonders if he can improvise something.

_What should Stiles do?_

_Suck it up and see what his dad has to say. Maybe it won't be what he's expecting? - 17 votes  
Try to divert the conversation before it gets (any more) uncomfortable. - 6 votes_

Derek nods at Stiles' dad. "Sir," he says, respectful, and Stiles is thankful for him. At least Derek knows how to get on his good side. Stiles chews on his lip, deciding to stick it out, hoping that it isn't going to be anything too awful.

"What's up?" Stiles asks, attempting for light and easygoing.

"Not much," his dad starts, eyes darting knowingly between Stiles and Derek. "What's going on with you?"

"Oh, you know," Stiles says, shrugging. "The usual. Trapping demons, getting boyfriends, saving lives. Just a normal day-"

"Stop," Stiles' dad stops him. "Rewind. I'd like you to elaborate on that second point right now."

Stiles rolls his eyes and sighs, squeezing Derek's hand in his own. "There's really nothing to elaborate on, Dad," he says. "We literally just kissed, that's all."

"Uh-huh," his dad says, unconvinced. "And that's literally the most you'll be doing if I have any say in it."

"You really don't," Stiles murmurs and he casts a sideways glance at Derek.

His dad catches those words, though. "As long as you live under my roof, I do."

Stiles sighs, "Dad, come on! I'm eighteen! Do you really need to try to give me this talk now?" He leaves the /with Derek here/ off the sentence.

Stiles' dad laughs, shaking his head. "Listen," he says, reaching out to rest a hand on Stiles' arm. "I don't want to know what you're getting up to. I really don't. Just be careful. And Derek?"

"Yes, sir?" Derek asks, his face hiding whatever he may be thinking.

"Take care of him? He's all I have."

Stiles feels his face flush. "Oh my god," he sighs.

"I promise," Derek says, ignoring Stiles. He shakes the Sheriff's hand and within moments, the Sheriff is driving off and disappearing with a quick squelch of siren in goodbye.

"Oh god, that was embarrassing," Stiles moans, turning and burying his face against Derek's shoulder.

"It could have gone worse," Derek muses as he wraps his arms around Stiles.

"You think so?" Stiles asks.

"You wouldn't be asking that if you had the chance to meet my dad," Derek smiles, making a warmth bloom in Stiles' chest.

"I would have loved to," Stiles admits, smiling back at Derek and feeling like he'll never stop.

"Now, I promised I'd take care of you," Derek says. "And I know you need to get some rest. So the question is, your place or mine?"

Stiles smiles wider as he looks at Derek, thinking about the choice he has given him. He already knows that whichever he chooses, it'll be all the better for having Derek there with him.

**(The End)**

**Author's Note:**

> If you like what you've read today, you can follow [@SterekTYOA on Twitter](http://twitter.com/sterektyoa) or [on Tumblr](http://sterektyoa.tumblr.com) for more Tweet Your Own Adventure stories in the future.
> 
> And you can always find me on tumblr, [@frek](http://frek.tumblr.com).


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